Fostering agency celebrates after receiving ‘outstanding’ Ofsted report

Foster Care Associates (FCA) Midlands achieved the rating in all areas following the inspection in October.

The Ofsted report commended the agency on understanding how to support positive experiences and progression for children and young people, taking into account how well children and young people are helped and protected, as well the effectiveness of leaders and managers.

The fostering agency, FCA Midlands, was commended for its “highly effective services and consistently exceeding the standards of good” and for its contribution to significantly improving outcomes and positive experiences for the individuals under its care.

The report said: “Managers and staff recruit, assess, prepare and train foster parents effectively.

"This means that carers are well equipped to parent children and to provide children with stable and nurturing homes.

“The support provided to foster parents and children is available through a wide range of initiatives and interventions that overlap seamlessly in practice.

"An ethos of and commitment to promoting equality, diversity, inclusion and participation, including responding to children’s and foster parents’ voices, runs throughout practice.”

Inspectors continued: “The breadth and effectiveness of the agency’s work are directly attributable to the quality of leadership and management of the service and the highly committed staff team.

“Leaders and managers are innovative and inspirational. Effective monitoring means that there is a constant focus on the development of the service, staff well-being, support to foster families and quality of care and outcomes for the children.”

Kate Taylor, registered manager at FCA Midlands, which is based in Bromsgrove, said: “I'm extremely proud of the incredible work FCA Midlands is doing to support our children and fostering families.

“I’m delighted with our outstanding outcome and that Ofsted acknowledges children in our care 'make significant progress and flourish'."

At the time of the inspection, there were 181 children living in 126 fostering households in this area.

There are currently more than 80,000 children in care throughout the year, and that number is growing.

It is estimated that an additional 3,000 foster carers will need to be recruited year on year, for the next three years to accommodate the influx of children coming into care.

To enquire about becoming a foster parent with FCA call 0800 023 4561.

Established for more almost 30 years, FCA is one of the UK’s largest fostering agencies with branches nationwide.